Collar-supporter.



0. L. PAYNE.

COLLAR SUPPORTER. APPLICATION msp JAN. 10. 1916.

Patented July 1s, 1916.

, fld'zle 16mm)? Pay/1e $13 M whine;

ODILE LEMAIRE PAYNE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

COLLAR-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-July 18, 1916.

Application filed January 10, 1916. Serial No. 71,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ODILE LEMAIRE PAYNE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Mount Vernon, New York, have invented a new anduseful Collar-Supporter, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to neckwear and the objects of the invention areto provide a simple and inexpensive collar support which will supportthe collar at practically all points so as to prevent sagging thereof,and which at the same time will yield readily and accommodate itself tothe different movements of the wearer.

Other objects are to provide a collar supporter which will not pressinto the neck of the wearer, and which will not interfere with thefreedom of movement of the wearer.

These objects I have accomplished by employing a resilient springsupport which is engaged with the edge portion of the collar so as toprovide a substantially continuous yielding support therefor, and bymounting this spring support so that it will hold the collar distendedwithout interfering withthe flexing thereof. According to a preferredconstruction, this yielding spring'support is in the form of a laterallyextending arm carried at the upper end of a spring post which is securedat its base to the base of the collar. The supporting post and springarm are conveniently made of a single piece of spring wire bent toshape. I find it preferable usually to extend two lateral supportingarms in opposite directions from the supporting post, the length andshape of these spring supporting arms depending upon the style andcharacter of collar to which the supporter is applied.

Various other features and details will appear as the specificationproceeds, attention being directed to the accompanying drawing, whereinI have illustrated several practical and preferred forms the inventionmay take.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention asapplied to and in use in connection with an ordinary stand-up collar,the near side of the collar being broken away for the sake of moreclearly showing the supporters. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one ofthe supporters on an enlarged scale, illustrating in dotted lines howthe supporting or spring arm is put under tension when the device isapplied to the collar. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating theinvention in connection with a collar of the military type. Fig. 4 is anillustration of the invention modified slightly in form to suit a collarof another type.

In the constructions illustrated, the supporter is shown made from asingle continuous strip or piece of spring wire, such as steel pianowire, bent to provide the two upright portions 7 and 8 carrying at theirupper ends the laterally and oppositely extendingspring supporting arms9 and 10. The uprlght portions 7 and 8 thus constitute a post forsupporting the laterally extending spring supports, said two sideportions 7 and 8 being connected at their lower ends preferablybyalooped portion 11, which adds resiliency and alsoprovides a means forattaching the foot of the post. to the base of the collar. Additionalresiliency is secured by providing the reverse bends 12 at the unctionsof the uprights with the laterally extending arms. The ends of thespring supporting arms 9 and 10 may terminate in eyes or loops 15, bywhich said ends may be more readily secured in place. This finishing offof the ends also prevents injury being done the collar.

In'using the invention, one of the collar supporters is usually appliedto each side of thecollar, also the shanks or supporting posts of thesupporters are applied to the collar at points where there will be nolia-' bility to press upon the nerves or muscles in the neck. A typicalapplication of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein is showna collar 17 of the type which clasps at the back. In this case thesupporting shanks of the .two supporters are applied to the inside ofthe collar at opposite sides of and near the back of the neck.Theforwardly extending spring supporting arms 9 are in this case longerthan the rearwardly extending supporting arms 10, the arms 9 extendingforwardly almost to the front of the neck, and the arms '10 approachingeach other at the rear of the neck. This will be seen to provide asubstantially continuous resilient and flexible support for the upperedge of the collar, serving to support the upper edge of the collar andto hold the collar as a whole distended in proper shape.

The spring support is sufliciently yielding in character to yieldreadily to all move ments of the wearer and while possessing thenecessary resiliency is not of sufficient strength to ofler'anyappreciable resistance to any movement of the wearer. The springsupporting arms are usually formed with a slight initial upward set asindicated in Fig. 2 thereby giving them an additional spring qualitywhen they are. applied to the collar and deflected down into the planeof the upper edge of the collar, as indicated in dotted lines in thisview. Also in applying the supporters to the collar the upright portionsforming the posts are preferably spread apart somewhat, as indicatedalso in dotted lines, so that the supporter can contract under certainmovements of the wearer. The supporter is shown stitched in place on thecollar, but it will be understood that other fastenings than sewing maybe used. The collar might for instance be formed with suitable pocketsto receive the supporting posts and the spring supporting arms. In Fig.3 I have illustrated a reversal of the arrangement of the supporters,wherein the supporting shanks are placed at the front of the collar andthe long spring supporting arms extend around the sides of the necktoward the rear. This arrangement is particularly applicable to collarsof the so-called military type.

In Fig. 4 I have indicated how the spring supporting arms may be variedas to length, shape and inclination to suit various styles of collars.In this particular illustration I have shown a point collar in which thesupporting shank is extended from the base of the collar up into thepoint, the forward spring supporting arm 9 extending downwardly on anincline from the point in conformity with the forward edge of thecollar,

and the rearward spring supporting arm 10" extending rearwardly alongthe upper edge of the collar. In the several forms shown the springsupporting posts are inclined with respect to the vertical and this, aswill best be understood from Fig. 4 enables the same to yield downwardlyas pressure is applied from above so that the supporter may collapsemore or less and so not offer any rigid obstruction to the freemovements of the wearer. Also in use the spring supporting arms 9 and 10Will be curved as indicated to more or less fit the curvature of theneck of the wearer.

The invention has proved to be particuarly useful for supporting. lacecollars, and collars of a like flimsy and more or less limp character,and I have, therefore, used the term limp to describe a collar of such acharacter lacking the qualities necessary to maintain it distended.

That I claim is:

1. A support for a flexible and relatively limp collar comprisinginclined spring sup porting arms connected at the bottom by a loopsecured to the base portion of the flexible and relatively limp collarand extending from said base portion substantially the full height ofthe collar to the upper edge portion thereof, and a substantiallycontinuous, resilient spring supporting arm extending from the upper endof each of said inclined spring supporting arms projecting in oppositedirections and terminating in free ends secured to the upper edgeportions of the collar to thereby provide substantially continuousresilient spring supports for the upper edge of the otherwise limp andnonself-sustaining collar and curved longitudinally to fit the curvatureof the neck.

2. A support for a flexible and relatively limp collar comprisingupstanding spring supporting arms connected at the bottom by a loopsecured to the base portion of the flexible and relatively limp collarand substantially continuous, resilient spring supporting armsextending-in opposite directions from the upper ends of the upstandingspring supporting arms having free ends and secured to the upper edgeportions of the collar to thereby provide substantially continuousresilient supports for the upper edge of the otherwise limp andnon-selfsustaining collar and curved longitudinally to fit the curvatureof the neck, theupstanding spring supporting arms diverging from theloop connecting the lower ends thereof to thereby render said armsfreely yieldable toward each other to allow for contractive movements ofthe collar and pro vided with reverse bends on the upper ends thereof atthe junctions with the oppositely extending spring supporting arms.

ODILE LEMAIRE PAYNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

